One of the best and most notable films that came out last year, was Jai Bhim. Not only did it raise the bar for Indian films, but it is also a jewel in the archive of Tamil cinema. The details and context that Jai Bhim has given its audience is worth a mighty applause. Especially for something as deep rooted as casteism. And recently, writer and director TJ Gnanavel’s explanations of the film’s scenes were shared on the official YouTube Channel of Oscars.
In this video, Gnanavel speaks about how custodial violence is tightly intertwined with casteism. And how minorities are often stereotyped as criminals in our country.
The director also goes on to talk about how difficult it is for people of oppressed castes to rise above casteism, because caste is a hierarchal system that acts as a literal obstacle course for minorities and marginalised communities.
TJ Gnanvel breaks down the scenes further and talks about the significance of Sengeni’s participation in the fight for justice, in the film’s storyline.
He says that it is extremely important for the people of a community to be a part of the fight for justice, in any scenario where casteism or communal oppression is concerned.
You can watch the entire video here.
What a film!
All images are screenshots from the video.